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Paul said former Percy Hedley School pupil Lee was gentle and loving and all he wanted was a friend, having been bullied all his life.

He said: “Lee was a lovely lad, he would never harm anyone.

“He was very trusting of people and all he ever wanted was a friend from an early age.

“When he was little he just wanted big muscles and said when he was older he wanted to go for a pint with me.

“He had problems all his life and was safe while he was at school but then he started going a missing and stuff.

“He thought he had found a friend with big muscles in Wheatley.”

Lee Irving

Savage murderer Wheatley was convicted of stamping and kicking Lee to death in a series of monstrous attacks.

Disabled 24-year-old Lee, who had profound learning difficulties, died slowly and in agony after Wheatley inflicted 27 rib fractures, broken bones in his face and multiple other injuries in attacks spanning more than a week.

The killer’s mother, Julie Mills, 51, then-girlfriend, Nicole Lawrence, 21 and lodger Barry Imray knew Lee was badly injured after the first attack but did nothing to help.

Wheatley was found guilty of murder while Mills, Lawrence and Imray were convicted of causing or allowing the death of a vulnerable adult.

The two women were also convicted of conspiracy to pervert the course of justice while Imray was cleared of murder and manslaughter.

Wheatley, 29, and Imray, 35, had admitted conspiracy to pervert the course of justice and Imray admitted doing acts intended to pervert the course of justice.